Lap ring or link.



W. E. BAUER.

LAP'RING ORLINK.

APPUCATION FILED JAN-15.1917.

Patented Dec. 3, 1918.

WILLIAM E. BAUER, 01F TRINIDAD, COLORADO.

tar nine on Linn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented none, on a.

Application filed. January 15, 1917. Serial No. M23516.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM E. BAUER,-

a citizen of the United States, residing at Trinidad, in the county ofLas Animas and State of Colorado, have invented certain new Ill ll Biland useful Improvements in Lap Rings or Links, oi which the following isa spcciiica tion, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,

This invention relates to lap rings or links and has for its primaryobjectto provide improved means for interlocking the ends of a'splitring or link such as is used, for instance, upon watch chains or otherarticles or jewelry, so that the ring or link can be opened only by arelative lateral movement of its connected ends.

It is a more particular object of the invention to provide a lap ringorlink of the, above character, the end portionsof whichv are cut orformed to provide interlocking tongues and grooves extendingtransversely of the ring, and which are capable of resisting alllongitudinal or circumferential strains upon the ends of the ring,whereby their separation is prevented' It is a further general object ofthe invention to prov .e an interlocking lap ring or link which isexceedingly simple in its con struction, as well as strong and durable,and may he manufactured at relatively small cost.

With the above and other objects in view,,

my invention consists in the novel. features of construction,comblnationand arran ement of parts to be hereinafter more inlydescribed, claimed and illustrated in the ac companying drawing, inwhich,

Figure 1 is an elevation illustrating one embodiment of my improvedinterlocking lap ring;

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are fragmentary elevations the in- .5 "designates ametal ring, allportions of which are normally disposed in the same circumfercntialplane. This ring is split to provide separable ends, each oi such endportions consisting of a longitudinallydisgage the tongues 8 in theposed arm 6 projecting from the body of the ring; These arms orextensions are adapted for locking engagement upon each other, asclearly shown in Fig. l, and each is provided with an enlarged extremity7. A lug 8pmj cots inwardly from this enlargement oftlic arm 6 and is ofa Width approximately equal to the thickness of the ring. The lug 8 being spaced from the opposed lac'e of the till arms 6, provides a groove9 which is adapt:

ed to receive the lug 8 on the otherarm or extension ofthe ring. Theopposedcontacting faces of the interlocking arms 6 are preferably fiat,and the abutting end faces of the arms on the body portion of the-ripindicated at 10, preferably extend radial y of the ring.

The'en extensions 6 of the lap ring being connected in interlockingrelation as seen in Fig. 1, it is apparent that no amount oflongitudinal or circumferential pull or strain on the ends of the ringwill edect their separation. The metal is, however, sodicientlymalleable to enable the ring ends to be separated by forcing themlaterally in relatively opposite directions, as shown in Fig. 2, so thata connected ring or link can. be removed. The, ring may be readilyclosed by simply forcing the ends thereof toward each other so as todispose the projecting arms 6 in lapping-relation and thereby enooves9..

in Fig. 3 the termina enlargements i are of dove-tail shape, and in lthese terminals 7'" have their end laces '3' dislid Elli

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posed radially of the ring, the opposed end surfaces of the ring being,of course, corro spondingly cut. 'llhe'inn'er contacting'laccs oi theterminals? are cut at an acute angle as indicated at '7'. Thus, de'dective interlocking connection is proa very stro an duced. v i i InFig. 5 ol the drawin l[ have shown one form of the interloc 'ngconnectionsuch as is illustrated in Fig. l, o plied to on elongatedchain or link. lit wil of course,

be understood that the invention may also be advantageously employedinconnection with rings, loops, or links-oi various other forms, andthat I do not desire to be limited .to the specific form of ring or linkillustrated in the drawing.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanyidrawing, the construction, manner of use and several advantages ofthei'nvention will he clearly Mill lid-

and fully understood. The device provides eficient and reliable meansfor securely closing a split ring or link, but which may be readilyopened by a lateral pressure upon the end portions thereof and againclosed numerous times without decreasing the strength or efliciency ofthe ring or link as e chain unit. I have referred to severalconstructions' whereby this interlockin connegation may be obtained, butin a dition thereto it may readily occur to the skilled mechanic thatvarious other forms of the lap interlocking ends of the ring might berovided, and I, therefore, reserve the privi ege of adopting all suchlegitimate modifications in the formanrl construction of the severalfeatures herein referred to as may be fairly embodied within the spiritand scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I desire to claim andsecure by Letters Patent is: I I

As an improved article of manufacture,

the herein described ring or link formed from a cylindrical metal barhaving end nor-- tions relatively displaceuble laterally with. respectto each other, each of said end portions being of substantiallysen'ii-ciroular form in crosssection and provided with a.

longitudinally projecting tongue 8 and an 1 undercut groove 9, andhaving a hut transverse end face 10, said tongue projecting to ward theend face 10 of the ring body und being spaced therefrom, the tongue onone end of the bar being movable into the recess and beneath the tongueon the other end of the bar by a relative lateral inovelnent of. theends of said bar, whereby the separation of the ends of the ring orlinlr'by a longitudinalpull thereon is prevented.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses. WILLIAM E. BAUER. Witnesses:

CARL FRYNNne, ROLAND C. GRIFFIN.

